Breath of Life
by BackinBlack47
Summary: A little something on Draco and Luna inspired by the song Breath of Life by Florence plus the Machine. A shorter story combined with a songfic. If you choose to skip the song lyrics, the story will still be fine. A/N: If any of the lyrics are wrong, I'm sorry. There were too many interpretations of the song, and this is the one that fit the story best.


Every fiber of Draco's being told him that this was all wrong. He just couldn't help himself.

It started in his sixth year. He was in the library, searching for a book on vanishing cabinets. He had thought he was alone; the aisle had been empty moments before. It surprised him when someone spoke.

"What are you looking for Draco?"

He started and managed to bang his head on the bookshelf. "What the hell?" He saw Luna Lovegood staring at him with a blank expression on her face.

"None of your business Loony," he sneered.

"Fine. Don't tell me," she said. "Though I would appreciate it if you would call me Luna."

He smirked in spite of himself. "Fine. _Luna_." He supposed it had a nice ring to it.

_I was looking for a breath of life_

He stayed at Hogwarts over Christmas vacation. He wanted to get a break from the chaos of his home. The Malfoy mansion was filled to the brim with Death Eaters. Lucius had offered up his home to come back into the Dark Lord's good graces. He wanted to think about his task as little as he could.

_A little touch of heavenly light_

Draco was surprised to see Luna on his way to Hogsmeade that weekend. He thought she would've gone home over break like most everyone else. She seemed to be waiting for someone. She stood up straight as he approached. "Fancy going to Honeydukes Draco? Frankly, I don't think Christmas is the same without sweets."

He stared at her. She cocked her head to the side and stared back at him with those wide innocent eyes.

"Why not?" he said. To hell with it. It was almost Christmas. She smiled and began walking. He matched his pace with hers. Soon they were in the bright warmth of Honeydukes chocolate shop. It was surprisingly empty. Draco supposed it was because everyone had gone home.

She skipped over to the chocolate cauldrons, picked one up, and popped it into her mouth. Draco walked over and joined her.

Suddenly the ridiculousness of the whole situation hit him. The Slytherin prince here with someone everyone deemed to be loony. And for once he didn't seem to care what other people thought.

She must have noticed the look on his face. "You seemed confused Draco," she said while staring at him intently. He was growing to like the way she said his name.

"It was probably some wrackspurts," he said without thinking.

She laughed. It caught Draco by surprise. He had never heard her laugh before. It was like her voice - light and twinkly. He wanted to hear it more.

_But all the choirs in my head sang no oh oh oh _

At the end of the year everything changed. The Dark Lord was rising again. After his failure to kill Dumbledore, he'd been subject to the cruciatus curse daily. Voldemort didn't like cowards. And that's all he was. A coward. He was too scared to kill. He was too scared to even leave his own home. He had been too scared to tell Luna that he was in love with her. And now it was too late.

_To get to dream of life again_

_A little vision of the sun at the end_

He wanted to go back to Hogwarts. Back to the lazy days on the grounds with Luna. Back to sampling sweets in Honeydukes with her. Back to snuggling next to her in a booth in the Three Broomsticks and sharing a glass of butterbeer. All he wanted to do was be with her again. Back to the times when it seemed like things were going to work out for him, that he was going to get through it all, with her by his side.

_But all the choirs in my head sang no oh oh oh_

When she became a prisoner at Malfoy manor, he snuck down to visit her when he could avoid his crazy aunt Bellatrix. No charm he tried could open the lock on the barred door that separated them. He told her what had happened with Dumbledore. How he couldn't do it. How he was so afraid of something bad happening that he was afraid to even leave the mansion. She comforted him. Told him that this would end. That it would all be okay. They held hands, pressed tightly against the bars to try and get as close as possible to one another. They kissed, the metal of the bars leaving bruises on their faces, but neither of them cared.

When the Golden Trio escaped and took the prisoners, he was relieved. He didn't need to live under the constant fear that she would be tortured or killed. Though it bothered him to know that they might not see each other again. At least he had told her that he loved her. And she loved him back.

_But I would need one more touch _

_Another taste of heavenly rush_

_And I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh._

He only followed Potter to the diadem to save his parents. He knew that if he failed the Dark Load again his parents would certainly lose their lives. He told Crabbe not to start the fiendfyre. But of course the thickhead didn't listen. When the room set ablaze, Draco knew he was going to die there. He only thought of Luna. It surprised him to no end when Potter swooped down on a broom to save him. When they collapsed on the ground outside, Draco was too stunned to speak. He stood up and dusted himself off. "You're bloody welcome!" Weasly screamed. Draco didn't respond, because there was Luna, standing not 6 feet away from them and looking mildly surprised.

"Why hello," she said. Then she gasped. "Draco," she breathed. She ran forward and flung her arms around his neck. He didn't hesitate to kiss her, one arm around her waist, one tangled in her long hair, pulling her closer.

"Oi! What the bloody fuck is going on?"

They pulled away from each other for a moment. Luna peered over his shoulder at Ron. "Do you mind? We're kind of in the middle of something," she said, her sweet voice contrasting with the glare she was giving him. Draco snorted. "Yeah, stuff it Wea-" the last part of his words were cut off as Luna captured his lips with her own again.

_And I needed one more touch_

_Another taste of divine rush_

_And I believe, I believe it's so oh oh oh_

At the calm in the battle, when Voldemort had announced to all that Harry was dead, and the death eaters all stood behind him, Draco had no idea what would happen next. He and Luna were standing in the middle of the crowd from Hogwarts, surrounded by people from all sides. He started when his parents came to stand beside Voldemort. "Draco," his parents called to him. "Come join us." The crowd parted around him, and everyone stared. He started to move towards his parents, but then he caught sight Luna's face. She was staring at him with her big pale blue eyes, begging him to stay.

_Whose side am I on? Whose side am I?_

_Whose side am I on? Whose side am I?_

Draco had never felt so torn. But he knew what his final decision would be. He looked over at his parents and shook his head. "No," he said softly. Then again, louder. "No. No, I-I can't."

_And the fever begins to spread_

_From my heart down to my legs_

_But the room is so quiet, oh oh oh oh_

All was quiet as his words sunk in.

A hiss came from Voldemort. "Very well Draco. But as you know, disloyalty is not something I value." His father's faced paled even more than usual. Tears flowed from his mother's eyes. Luna reached out and grabbed his hand. He smiled at her.

_And although I was loosing my mind_

_It was a call that was so sublime_

_But the room is too quiet, oh oh oh oh _

He was aware of all the stares. But for once he doesn't care what people think. He thinks he might be going crazy. He fell for Luna Lovegood off all people. But he's going to start doing what makes him happy. And what makes him happy is her.

_I was looking for a breath of life_

_A little touch of heavenly light_

_But all the choirs in my head sang no oh oh oh. _

_To get a dream of life again_

_A little vision of the sun in the end_

_But all the choirs in my head sang no oh oh oh._

The battle was won. Harry had killed Voldemort. Cheers had gone up throughout the great hall. Everything was over.

It had all calmed down now. Families were reunited, and mourning over those who were dead. Draco's parents were, thankfully, alive. They had tried to run. But they were currently being hunted down by the Ministry of Magic. Draco had been bullied and controlled for most of his life, and was glad to finally have his freedom.

_Oh oh oh oh oh oh_

_whoa oh oh oh oh oh_

_whoa oh oh oh oh oh_

_It's a hard way and it's come from paper _

_And I always say: we should be forgiven _

Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and Neville stared at them in disbelief. Luna had dragged him over to congratulate the hero. Draco didn't want to go with her. He wouldn't know how he could face Harry after all the things he had done. But Luna had wanted him to come, and he couldn't say no her. The way the four were staring at him made him with he had.

Luna stepped forward and gave Harry a hug. "I knew you could do it Harry," she said. She seemed oblivious to the stares.

"Er, thanks Luna. It means a lot," he shifted uncomfortably.

"What the hell is going on with you and Malfoy?" Ron blurted out.

"Ronald!" Hermoine elbowed him in the ribs.

"Um, yeah Luna. We're all wondering the same thing," Neville said awkwardly.

"Draco and I are in love." Her words caused their mouths to drop open. Luna smiled at Draco. "We must be going. Goodbye for now!" She intertwined her fingers with Draco's, and pulled him off in the opposite direction.

_I can see the look cause this song has ended_

Draco and Luna had gone to sit in on the steps leading up to the doors of the school. After the chaos of the battle, they both wanted a little break from the mass of people in the Great Hall. Luna was sitting in Draco's lap, her legs turned to the side, her arms around his neck. His arms were wrapped around her waist, toying with the ends of her hair. They just sat together, taking in each other's warmth. They didn't say anything. They were just happy to finally be together.

_And if you are gone, I will not be long _

"Well well well. Ain't this a touching sight." It startled the couple, and they looked over to where the voice had come from. It was said by man was standing a few yards away. His face was dirty, his robes were soiled.

The man looked Draco square in the face. Draco recognized him from the summer at the Malfoy mansion. He was one of Voldemort's most devout supporters. "Traitors must be punished!" he yelled, moving closer.

It happened before Draco had time to react.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

He felt the wind as the curse rushed by. It surprised him that he was still alive.

Draco had pulled out his wand and killed the man before he had gone another step. He body collapsed, his hand dropping his wand.

He didn't want to believe what had happened. He couldn't. His hand was clenched tightly around his wand. His brain had completely shut off. What happened finally hit him. He couldn't fathom that it was all over, that he was _thisclose_ to getting his happily every after with her.

_And I started to hear it again_

_But this time it wasn't the end_

He shook her lifeless body, hoping that he had been imaging things. She didn't move. He wrapped his arms around her and laid his head on her chest. He couldn't hear a heartbeat. His tears fell on her robes and damped her pale hair. Then the shock hit him, and he started to scream.

_And the room is so quiet oh oh oh oh_

People eventually heard his screams. They came outside, all of them gasping when they saw the scene. A death eater lying dead, and Draco Malfoy crying over the body of Looney Lovegood.

He knew everyone was watching him break down. All they could do was stare. They would never expect him, the death eater Draco Malfoy, to have a soul. To feel. He clutched her tighter and buried his face in the crook of her neck. He could hear his sobs echoing off the rocks.

_And my heart is the heart of a life_

_For the devil to dance again_

_And the room is too quiet oh oh oh oh_

He felt numb. Like there was nothing in life worth living for. The only thing he truly cared about had been ripped from him. She had taught him how to live, how to love. She'd tamed the beast inside him. She'd been the one bright star in a sea of pitch black. In a split second he made the decision. He slowly let go of her robes and stood up. He took one last look at Hogwarts. Where it had all started. He picked up his wand from the ground and pressed the tip to his head.

_I was looking for the breath of a life_

They say your life flashes before your eyes when you're about to die. The only part of his life he thought of was his sixth year. When he met Luna. When his sorry excuse of a life was actually starting to become worth something.

_A little touch of a heavenly light_

Draco squeezed his eyes shut. "Avada kedavra," he whispered.

_But all the choirs in my head sang no oh oh oh_


End file.
